


.falling

by AkaToMidori



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28372272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaToMidori/pseuds/AkaToMidori
Summary: Sho discovers new sides of Aiba that he never knew about.
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20
Collections: Sakuraiba Tanabata 2020-2021





	.falling

**Author's Note:**

> _December 28_  
>  “We could get arrested for this”

“We could get arrested for this,” Sho whispered as the key made a loud click and the door swung open. Grabbing his hand firmly, Aiba pulled him into the darkness and closed the door behind them. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said amused as his silhouette approached the blinking panel on their right to enter the code that would stop the alarm from activating, “we didn’t even break in, I own the keys to this place.”

Sho groaned when the other man turned on the light. “Well, maybe we won’t get arrested then, but if Matsujun finds out that we’re in his restaurant without him knowing, he will kick our asses.” 

Aiba just laughed in reply, grabbing Sho’s hand again to push him inside. “He’ll never know,” he said, conspiratorially. “We’ll get everything back to how it was before and he’ll be none the wiser. Don’t worry, Sho-chan.” 

The casual mention of his first name rolling off Aiba’s tongue so easily made Sho’s heart skip a beat. He was suddenly very aware of the fact that the other man was still holding his hand while pulling him to the tables, and wondered if Aiba had planned to slip his name into the conversation because he knew how it would throw Sho for a loop and make him more willing to go along with his plan. It had been just a month since they had started dating, after all, and this was the first time Aiba called him by his first name. 

Stumbling a bit because he was so lost in his head that he couldn’t match the other man’s pace, Sho found himself in the kitchen of the restaurant. Aiba smiled at him before putting on an apron, gesturing for Sho to sit down at the makeshift table he must have arranged for the two of them earlier that night. 

Sho had been at that restaurant before, of course. He had discovered the place by accident a night of two years ago, when he was walking the streets of Tokyo, tired and hungry after a hellish week at work. He had decided to go inside on a whim, just because the great smell of the food was inviting him in. 

When he had crossed the threshold, a short man by the name of Nino had shown him to a table. Then Aiba had come along with a big smile on his face to announce that he was going to be his waiter for the night, and that was it: Sho was hooked. Aiba’s smile had completely dazzled him, a ray of sunlight in an otherwise dull week; a lighthouse in a storm, leading his frazzled ship to safety. Since that night, he had become a faithful customer of the restaurant and even became friends with the chef and owner of the place, Matsumoto Jun, and the other employees. It was also thanks to Nino and Jun, and the silent but perceptive Ohno, that Sho was able to ask Aiba out, eventually. 

However, throughout the many times Sho had been there, he had never known Aiba to cook anything. As far as he knew, Jun had always been very reluctant to let people in his kitchen, and Ohno was only allowed because he could cook fish like nobody’s business. 

Sho sat down curiously. “Aiba-kun, what—” 

“Hush,” Aiba said, as he filled a pot with water and put it on the stove without turning it on. “Just watch me.” 

And watch Sho did. 

He didn’t know how much time passed as he watched Aiba prepare the ingredients on the table and then make _soba_ from scratch. The more Aiba’s hands worked the dough, the more Sho grew mesmerized by this side of him. There was a whole new universe of things he didn’t know about this man, so many ways he could fall in love with him, and he wanted to discover them all. 

When Aiba finally finished preparing their dishes, Sho jumped up to bring them to the table. Aiba thanked him and took off his apron before sitting down in front of him. 

“What?” he said when he noticed how Sho was looking at him. 

“You’re amazing.” 

Aiba laughed, suddenly embarrassed. “That’s not true.” 

“You made these from scratch,” Sho continued. 

“Well, it isn’t that hard,” Aiba said dismissively as he invited Sho to eat.

Sho didn’t let him say it twice. He grabbed his chopsticks immediately, and slurped the _soba_ in one go. His eyes widened impossibly as he ate. “This is so good!” 

Aiba thanked him shyly. 

“I’m going out with an amazing person,” Sho said, more to himself than to Aiba. 

“What are you saying?” Aiba chuckled. “I’m not.” 

“You are,” Sho said after gulping down more _soba_. “You’re great at your job, and now I found out that you can cook too. And before too, you said my name so easily… it was so cool.” 

“You noticed that.” 

It wasn’t a question. Aiba looked visibly nervous as he pushed his hair behind his ear and Sho felt his heart suddenly accelerate. He hadn’t meant to say that, if he was being honest. But whenever he was with him, he was so overwhelmed by Aiba Masaki that he couldn’t filter his thoughts. 

“I did,” he said, a bit nervous too. 

Aiba looked up at him hesitantly. “And you didn’t… dislike it?”

It was Sho’s turn to feel embarrassed. He never really had anyone call him ‘Sho-chan’ since he was a kid. But this was Aiba, and hearing him call him like that made him feel closer to him, something he desired more than anything. 

“I love—” he looked at him for a split second before turning away “—it.” 

Aiba smiled at that, and to Sho it felt just like seeing a rainbow peeking out of the clouds after a thunderstorm. 

“Then I will use it from now on, Sho-chan,” Aiba said, relieved. “And of course, you can use my name. If you want,” he added quickly. 

Sho nodded, flustered. “Sure.” 

  
***  


Aiba closed the door behind him carefully. 

The brisk night air made them shiver a bit, so they ran towards Sho’s car and quickly turned on the heating. Sho sighed contentedly as he patted his stomach, thinking about the great dinner he had with the most amazing company he could ask for. 

“This was the best date ever,” he said as he slid down the driver’s seat with his eyes closed. 

Aiba smirked at him. “It was?” he asked playfully as he grabbed Sho’s hand to let their fingers intertwine. “Was it worth the risk of being found out by Matsujun and being arrested – or worse?” 

“Definitely,” Sho affirmed, making him laugh. 

Sho reluctantly let go of Aiba’s hand to start driving. The road was not that crowded at that time of night, and they spent the ride in silence, the only noise being the soft radio playing in the background. 

When they stopped at the traffic light, Sho turned around to notice that the other man had dozed off. He smiled at the sight, feeling an incredible warmth spreading in his chest. He had barely even kissed Aiba since they started dating, but tonight had felt like a bigger milestone than what he thought it would be, and he knew without a doubt that he was falling deeper than he ever had. 

“Thank you, Masaki,” he whispered before he felt too conscious to say it. 

At that moment the traffic light turned green again, and Sho looked ahead and started the car again, missing the way Aiba smiled at his words.


End file.
